


Friends

by Carisa_Ironfell



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Gajeel feels bad about it, Gajeel swears a lot, Gajeel's temper is impressive, Gen, Juvia also cries a lot, Juvia falls in love with Gajeel for a while and it's weird, he's just not in touch with his emotions, he's not a bad guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-12 03:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20142808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carisa_Ironfell/pseuds/Carisa_Ironfell
Summary: Gajeel tries to talk to Juvia about all the rain, and accidentally ends up making her fall in love with him. She follows him around for a while and is Juvia about the whole thing.Pre-series, explaining how Juvia and Gajeel became friends. (We will go down with this friendShip)Written by my wonderful sister. I love her. X3





	Friends

**Author's Note:**

> We hope you have fun with this one!

Damn, this rain is depressing, I thought, stepping out of the guildhall only to find leaden skies and the constant pattering of droplets. It wasn’t natural for it to rain this much and it was starting to piss me off.

Turning on my heel, I headed back inside to find the wizard responsible for the rain.

Only after marching up three levels did it occur to me that picking a fight with one of the Element Four might not be the best idea. I would have no problem taking one of them in a fight, but the problem with teams was that the other three would most likely feel the need to take her side.

I worked alone. It was better that way. No stupid team to trip over, no one bothering me when I didn’t want to be messed with. On so many days, I was pretty sure I hated everyone else. Still, maybe I should be a little careful. I didn’t want those Element weirdos to actively get in my way. Or worse, Master Jose might be mad at me for damaging one of them and cutting down the effectiveness of his giant.

Fine, I’d ask politely.

It took a lot more searching to actually find the rain woman. Those Element freaks were always hanging around where nobody thought they should be, creeping people out in wildly different ways. Just the other day, Sol tried to pick a fight with me because I stepped on his face. It wasn’t my fault the freak slept as part of the floor, where people were supposed to be stepping.

Juvia was holed up in a small, dusty room. One wall was entirely windows and she was sitting on the floor, staring out at the dark grey sky. Piled around her were those creepy little dolls she kept stitching. I wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be, but she made a lot of them. 

“Hey, I’ve got a problem with you,” I said, crossing my arms.

Juvia turned to face me. She looked the same as always: wide, blank eyes, pale skin, and lips pulled into a pout. “What do you want with Juvia?” she said, in the monotone voice that made my skin feel weird.

It was not a shiver, or goosebumps, or any of that crap. It just felt weird.

“You’re the one making all this rain, aren’t you? Make it stop,” I told her. Maybe it came out harsher than I meant it to. I’d done my best to be careful, but I hated talking to any of the Elements.

Juvia ducked her head and I wondered briefly if her weird little hat was going to come off. I’d never seen her without it. It didn’t and I was left considering how strange those rolls of hair looked.

“The rain has always followed me,” Juvia said softly. “I am a rain woman and the rain makes me strong. I don’t know how to make it stop. I’ve never been in control of what it does. Drip, drip, drop.”

That was another thing. She always said that. As far as I could tell, it didn’t mean anything, but it was obnoxious. 

“Well, figure it out. I’m getting sick of hearing drip, drip, drop,” I snapped at her and walked out before I did something that would make one of the others come after me. Totomaru, the Great Flame, didn’t seem to care, so he would probably leave me alone. Sol was stupid enough to come after me, with his annoying voice and freaky arm-waving. Aria too, the creepy crying guy. I had no idea what the Great Sky’s problem was, but he was the strongest of the Element Four.

I loved a good fight, but there was no point in getting into it with those people.

Unsatisfied, I went to the main hall and sat against the wall in my usual spot. I’d piled up a bunch of iron there, so no one else tried to bother me. I focused on sorting the new collection and tried to ignore the distant sound of raindrops.

The next day, it was still raining. I sat in one of the towers, watching the water come down and thought about how useful it would be to fight Juvia. Maybe if I knocked her out for a few hours, the sun would come out. 

I’d figured out why it made me so mad, too. The days were getting shorter and the rain was stealing away the last few days of sunlight I had left before I started sleeping a lot more. I hated winter. Phantom could be a dangerous guild and I needed every advantage I had to stay alive in here. I wouldn’t do much surviving groggy and exhausted.

I’d just about made myself mad enough to go do it when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned, to make sure I didn’t leave my back to whoever was walking up. Most of the weaker morons wouldn’t dream of attacking me, but some of them were ruthless enough to try it. Master Jose had punished me for not being alert enough, once or twice. 

Juvia came in, looking even more gloomy than yesterday. Her eyes were shadowed with dark circles, like she hadn’t slept at all, and it took her a long moment to look at me.

“Drip, drip, drop. I’m sorry, Gajeel. I can’t make the rain stop.” Her lip quivered like she was going to cry. “I’ve never seen the blue sky. All my life, it has only been rain. It drove everyone I ever met away from me. Master Jose didn’t care. I’d hoped the rest of Phantom would feel the same. Juvia has been very foolish.”

She buried her face in her hands and started crying.

“Damn it,” I muttered, feeling sorry for her. “Get over it, I’m not going to hold it against you,” I said a bit louder, hoping to make her stop.  
She cried louder.

I muttered a few more curses, hating myself for getting into this mess. It would have been better not to bring it up at all. Now I was stuck. Growling, I got to my feet and went over to her.

“It’s not your fault,” I said gruffly. Juvia didn’t reply and I was running out of ideas. I sighed and roughly pulled her head against my chest. Metalicana had done that when I was little, the big jerk, so maybe it was the right thing to do. It worked out a little better for me, since I was nowhere near as solid as the Iron Dragon, and I didn’t have claws the size of Juvia.

I didn’t expect her to wrap around me like some crazy vine and wail. I stood there, feeling stupid and a little panicked, while she soaked the front of my tunic. Finally, she stepped away. I took a step back too, in case she tried anything weird.

“I will never forget this,” she vowed, staring up at me with shining, animated eyes.

Was that a threat? Was she mad that I touched her? I know I hated being touched. It didn’t look like a mad face, but what the hell did I know about women?

“Don’t make a big thing out of it,” I said. She blushed and I lost my head a little bit. Rather than try to get past her, I jumped off the tower.

Not a big deal, but I got soaked on the way down and covered in mud. I went back in on the ground floor and punched a guy who bumped into me. That made me feel a bit better.

I didn’t see Juvia for the rest of the week, which was fine. I spent a lot of time behind one of the arm joint mechanisms where the machinery was usually warm. That kept me from causing too much trouble.

Maybe it was worth looking into longer term jobs. If I could find a warmer place to spend the winter, maybe I wouldn’t get myself into so many messes. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wouldn’t work. Master Jose kept me pretty close, in case he needed something done. I already pushed my luck, taking off every spring. 

Still caught up with thinking, I headed to the hall, hoping nobody had touched my iron. It was time for something to eat and I would fight anyone who made me wait. No one had messed with my food, but there was a box sitting on the table.

I frowned at it. It looked like a lunchbox, the kind that normal people had lunch from. I had no idea what it was doing at my table.

Could it be a trap? That didn’t seem likely. None of the morons in the guild had the imagination to come up with something like this. Besides, lunch box booby-trap was the dumbest way to attack someone I could think of. Still, best to be cautious.

I sniffed the box carefully, detecting nothing stranger than the scent of food and something a little like perfumed water. Juvia’s scent. 

Was she weird enough to come up with some kind of lunchbox booby-trap? Sure, but I couldn’t figure out what the trap was. I didn’t smell any poison or magic. Was she waiting for me to let my guard down in order to attack? I peered around the dark hall.

No sign of Juvia. Still, it was so dark, she could be hiding just about anywhere. I sniffed more carefully and located her: crouched behind a table not far from me.  
“What’s this about?” I asked her. Hardly anyone was around, so I didn’t go too hard on her.

Juvia poked her head over the table. She was blushing again.

“I worked hard to make you something,” she said, quiet enough to strain my hearing a little.

That made no sense. I sat down and opened the box. I’d spoiled her surprise factor, so maybe she would give up the plan. It couldn’t hurt to eat some real food once in a while.

Inside the box was more food than I expected. Juvia had really gone all out. She’d placed the foods into the exacting pattern of my face, too.

“What is this?!” I yelled at her, making a few people jump. They filed out, no doubt assuming two of the guild’s strongest were about to throw down.  
I would have been happy to, but Juvia looked ready to cry again.

“I couldn’t stop the rain, my beloved! So, I slaved for days to bring something else into your life,” she said breathlessly, rushing over to lean against the table. “I may not be able to bring the sun, but my love can brighten your life and your plate!”

WHAT.

I stared at her blankly for a long time as I tried to figure out how things had gone wrong. I’d tried to get her to stop the rain, she cried, and now she was throwing out dumb lines straight from a girly romance? How did me yelling at her make her fall in love?

More importantly, would yelling make her stop?

Screw it. I got started eating. There was no reason to waste food that she had worked hard to make just because she had made it. Besides, it was a fact that I did stupid things when I was hungry. 

Juvia leaned her chin on her hand and watched me the whole time. Her normally sad face transformed into a silly lovestruck expression that actually made her look better. I had no intention of returning her bizarre feelings, but I could observe that she was a lot prettier when she smiled. Unfortunately, my table manners didn’t put her off one bit.

“Juvia, it’s fine,” I said, pushing the empty box toward her. “I’m not that upset about the rain. Just go back to whatever you normally do.”

She beamed at me. “How could I possibly go back? I drifted through life a dreary rain woman until you brought me hope of a better way! Now I can devote my life to something good! I will never cease to do all I can to make your life bright and fruitful.”

“You won’t get anything from me,” I told her bluntly. There was a reason the Iron Dragon magic gave me a club, okay. Maybe if I made it clear her romance would go nowhere, she’d get over it.

Juvia wiggled in place, giggling. “No, that doesn’t matter. You give me everything I need by simply accepting my poor offering! Gajeel, say you’ll accept what I give you.” 

She reached out to grab my hand, which was going a little too far. I waved her off. 

“I don’t mind if you make food, but no more faces, okay? That was downright creepy. And don’t touch my iron.” I had to say that, because her eyes wandered over there like she was coming up with an idea.

Juvia clapped her hands excitedly. “I promise!” she exclaimed and dashed off.

She carried on like that all winter. Meals every time I made it to the table. A big fluffy blue sweater with my name stitched on it. I told her I’d never wear it. She tried to make me wear it. It was only after I threatened to tear it up and made her cry that she dropped it. A warm grey and blue patchwork quilt that I actually found useful, not that I’d ever tell her.

Nothing I did put Juvia off for long. She’d vanish for a few days or a week and then come back with a new plan to show her love for me. She smiled so much now that I didn’t really try to convince her I wasn’t worth her time. Except the time she made me hot chocolate topped with iron shavings and whipped cream. That I had to chew her out for because it made me sick. 

I wasn’t sure why, but I’d never tried mixing iron and normal food before. Big surprise, it didn’t work so great. Of course, that didn’t have much effect on her either. She stayed in my room while I got over it and giggled about how I talked in my sleep.

By the time the days started getting longer, Juvia was inviting herself on jobs with me. The first few times, she just followed me without saying anything. I’d only found out she was there when a stupid bird tried to steal one of the studs out of my ear and she blasted it away with a bunch of water.

I didn’t take many jobs in winter because of how slow I got, but when the days got long enough that I wasn’t sleepy all the time, I got back to work. There was only so much time between the end of winter and spring, when I had to get away from the guild.

I was kind of dreading spring. More than usual, anyway. If Juvia followed me, there was a real chance I could hurt her. Then the rest of the Element Four and Master Jose would be after me. Maybe I could explain it to her. 

Only if I could remember Metalicana’s explanation. Sure, I knew what went on during mating season, but there were a lot of details he told me that hadn’t stuck in my head. Selfish jerk, abandoning me.

“You look so sad, Gajeel,” Juvia said, laying a hand on my arm. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No, Juvia. It’s nothing,” I told her. The job was supposed to be a simple one: find the whatever thing and hand it over. That didn’t give me any room to start thinking about Metalicana.

“I’m glad we’re able to do this,” she said, cheerfully skipping a few steps ahead of me. “It’s not raining today! Isn’t it glorious?”

She had a crooked idea of glorious. It wasn’t raining, but the clouds loomed over us like they would start if anyone looked at them wrong. Still, it was an improvement.

“Sure. Juvia, don’t you go on jobs with the other Element Four?”

She stopped and looked at me for a moment, suddenly the blank faced rain woman again. “Not often. Master Jose rarely sends all four of us to accomplish something. Our power would be immense if we did. He usually keeps two of us back to ensure the giant can be activated.”

Then she was all smiles. “Besides, you are much more fun to work with than Totomaru!”

No one had ever accused me of being fun, but I didn’t feel like telling her that. Besides, she’d given me something to think about. She was literally made of water. Could there be some kind of natural enmity between Juvia and Totomaru? Maybe that would give me an advantage down the road, if Totomaru ever came at me.

It was also an interesting insight into how Master Jose ran the guild. We weren’t a dark guild, but we weren’t far from it either. I guess it made sense to always keep our main base of operations well-defended. Now I had to worry about Master getting mad at me for taking Juvia away from her post…

It wasn’t my idea, damn it! I scowled, but that didn’t change anything.

I didn’t pay much attention while we did the job. It was just to find some thing in a creepy abandoned school that I could totally picture the Element Four enjoying. There wasn’t anything to fight, but I needed the money. So, I didn’t pay much attention until Juvia picked up the thing and blocks of stone leaped from the walls to cascade around her. She screamed and hit the ground and didn’t get back up.

My vision went red. After that, it was kind of a blur, but I was pretty sure I fought a stone golem thing and knocked down most of the building. It was like I got so mad I turned into a stupid Fairy Tail wizard.

The next thing I knew, I was outside with Juvia cradled against my chest. She had her hand on the side of my face and a peaceful little smile. Crap. Had I done something to encourage her? Double crap, had I kissed her?

“You’re a good friend, Gajeel. I’m glad we’re in the same guild,” Juvia said.

Friend? Now what was she talking about?

“Are you hurt at all?” I asked her and she shook her head. “Good. Are we friends?”

“I’d like that. I don’t think I’ve had a real friend before. I like the Element Four, but they don’t look after each other the way you and I do.” She sat up and I let go of her. Apart from being scuffed up, she didn’t look hurt, but she’d lost her hat. She looked better without it.

“Does this mean you aren’t in love with me anymore?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t catapult her back into being weird.

“That’s right. I’ll be your most loyal friend, but my love must go to someone else. Don’t worry, I’ll help you find someone who can love you even more than me!”

Maybe she would always be weird. I could live with that.

I got off the ground and made sure my friend was taken care of.


End file.
